The list of books suppressed in the English language features the sacred and profane, poetic and pornographic, famous and infamous. A history of literary censorship is therefore a history not only of texts but of the authorities that have attempted to prevent their circulation: sovereigns, politicians, judges, prison officers, slaveholders, school governors, librarians, teachers, parents, students, editors and publishers. Censored deals with some of the most contentious and fascinating cases, including works now praised as literary masterpieces, such as James Joyce's Ulysses and Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita; as well as a troubling book about assassination that was implicated in a murder case.

The books in this comprehensive study have been chosen to showcase the variety of suppressed literature, the methods and consequences of censorship, and landmarks in the history of free speech.